


Doggie Daycare

by simonbananaao3



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Cute, Dogs, Flirting, M/M, Pining, Poetic, alternate universe author
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-05-03 20:59:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14577546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simonbananaao3/pseuds/simonbananaao3
Summary: He came to pick up his dog. He loved his dog! But the man who brought out his dog was more than Bucky could ever ask for.





	Doggie Daycare

What makes everything better? Dogs! And that’s what Bucky needed right now. 

He needed to see his dog. He wanted to lay down on the couch and have Winter curl right up next to him. He loved her so much. She was a German Shepherd. Some people were a little tentative when they met her for the first time, but as soon as Winter sniffed them, she was all over them giving as many kisses as possible. 

She was at the doggie daycare. She liked to be there, Bucky thought, but he was pretty sure that Winter preferred to be with him. Bucky was able to work from home most days, which gave the two of them a lot of time together.

He was an author. He spent most of his days at his desk. 

Writing and scrapping. 

Writing and scrapping. 

Then, on some days, he would write something really good! And then he would read it over and over again until he hated it. 

He wasn’t a bestselling author. He was barely recognized by some of the larger critics. His most successful work, titled _How Not To Fall Off A Train,_ was actually a comedic novel. Comedy was never his forte, but for some reason, that book clicked with a large audience. 

The royalties he gained from it were enough to keep him afloat for about a year while he worked on something else. Now that he knew that he was capable of writing something good (mediocre at best), he had more motivation to write another novel. 

He wanted to write something meaningful, a love story perhaps. He didn’t have much material. Love was not his strong suit. It felt like ever since he came out to himself as gay, things got a lot harder for him. 

He found out that it was a lot harder to realize and accept your own sexuality than someone else's. If you had come up to him three years ago and said “Hey, Bucky! You’re actually really gay!”, he would have laughed in your face. 

He never had a problem with the gay community, but he never considered himself a part of it. Then, one thing lead to another, and one drunken night with his friend Tony lead to something irreversible. 

Tony was a one-night-stand kind of guy, while Bucky was a hold-me-and-never-leave-me kind of guy. Long story short, it didn’t work out. Now, they can’t be in the same room as each other without thinking of all the things that could have been. 

So yeah, he was a young gay man who really liked dogs and books. And now, he was going to see his dog. 

He drove into the parking lot of the doggie daycare. It was a small building, but it had really good service. They would bathe Winter, let her stay overnight if it was really necessary, and they would let her play all day. 

Once he had found a parking spot, he got out of the car and walked inside. There were chew toys and bully sticks on the wall that were for sale. Every time Winter walked in there, she would look at those and give Bucky those puppy eyes. He couldn’t resist those eyes. So, his house was filled with doggy toys and crumbled up pieces of paper. 

“Here to pick up Winter?” the lady behind the desk asked.

“You know it,” he responded cheerfully. She spoke into her walkie-talkie, telling whoever was listening that Winter was ready to go home. 

Soon enough, Winter came through the door, pulling the guy the guy that was holding her leash like her life depended on it. The guy didn’t stumble, but it was clear that he was struggling to hold her back. Once she got to Bucky, she was all over him.

“How’s my good girl?!” Bucky asked, causing Winter’s tail to wag even faster as he was licked on his face.

“How was she today?” he asked the guy that brought her out, without looking at him.

“She was awesome. You know I just started working here and to be honest she’s one of the best dogs I’ve ever met,” he said.

“Thank you so much she really is ama-“ Bucky was cut off. Not verbally. He was just astounded. He was shocked at the beauty of the man who brought Winter out. He didn’t notice it, and then he couldn’t stop noticing it. 

There was a god standing before him. Apollo? Eros? It was Steve; it said so on his name tag. Everything about the man was perfect. 

His muscular build was displayed prominently through his thin athletic shirt. Bucky was afraid he would cut himself on Steve’s jaw. When Steve spoke about Winter’s playtime activities, bright white teeth emerged, surrounded by bubblegum lips. His eyes, a brilliant shade of blue, sparkled, unlike anything he had ever seen. 

There were a million words Bucky could use to describe him, but none of them would do that man justice.

“Have a good day!” Steve said, turning away. Wait, no! He was leaving!

“Wait!” Bucky said louder than he wanted.

“Yes?” Bucky had to say something now. 

“How are you?” Internally, Bucky face-palmed. Idiot.

“Oh, I’m doing alright. You?” Steve asked.

“I’m alive.”

“Alive?” Steve asked, kind of upset.

“I mean, things are fine, it’s just…actually, forget it.” Bucky knew he was confusing the man. He didn’t want to be, but he really wasn’t thinking straight. 

“No, tell me.”

“You should get back to work.”

“I have all the time in the world.” Bucky was ready to concede. It was time for him to open up to a guy he just met. Bad decision? Who’s to say?

“I’m just alone. I don’t know if you’re in a relationship or anything but it sucks being single.”

“No, I get that. Being alone is a bummer. Why do you think I got a job working with dogs all day?” That made Bucky laugh.

“Besides, you never know if love is right in front of you.” Steve said. Right in front of him, it sure was. Did Steve mean anything by that? Bucky held on to a little bit of hope.

“I’m Steve, by the way.” Steve extended his hand. 

“I’m James, but you can call me Bucky.”

“Bucky?”

“Middle name’s Buchanan. Shortened it.”

“Ah, I like it. Steve is short for…Steve.” They both laughed. It took them a while to realize that even though their handshake had ceased, their hands were still connected.

“You know, Bucky, I like to think of love as a feather falling.”

“Do tell,” Bucky said, intrigued.

“Clapping your hands around it will just make it elude you, but if you move really slowly, it’ll come to you.”

“Poetic much?” Steve chuckled.

“Not really, just thought you would like to know that.” There was a pause. Winter was just looking at them, wondering what was going on.

“Maybe I’ll see you around?” Steve asked.

“Or I could just ask for your number.” Steve smiled. 

“Or that.” They exchanged contacts and then Bucky left, feeling lighter. 

It was on that day that Bucky would get his inspiration for a new story. It would be a story about someone in love, and it would work out for them because for Bucky, it was happily ever after. 

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed! Sun Salutations is now my most popular work. Thank you so much for reading and supporting my work!!


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